NHA Today Podcast

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱

In this episode, Cyd Notter speaks with psychologist, vegan educator, and author of The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World, Angela Crawford, PhD, about Food & Mood and the powerful connection between nutrition and mental health.

You'll learn:

• How food choices can influence depression, anxiety, and emotional resilience

• The role of inflammation, the gut-brain connection, and key nutrients like fiber

• Why many people struggle socially when transitioning to plant-based eating (and how to handle it)

• Practical strategies for emotional eating, setbacks, and staying consistent

• How lifestyle pillars like sleep, movement, stress management, and community support mental wellbeing

Whether you're plant-based, plant-curious, or just looking for better mental clarity and wellbeing, this conversation offers science-backed insights and compassionate guidance.

Links & Resources
🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association: https://www.healthscience.org/📺 Explore NHA Today episodes on YouTube: NHA Today Playlist
🎙 Listen on podcast platforms: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/ 

Connect with Angela Crawford, PhD
🌐 Website: https://angelacrawfordphd.com
📘 Book: The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (see her Book tab on site)
🍲 Food for Life / cooking classes: (available via her website)

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱

In this episode, guest host Cyd Nader speaks with chronic pain expert, educator, and author Eileen Kopsaftis who is a leader in movement science and founder of Have Lifelong Wellbeing.

Eileen has helped people eliminate pain, age well, and reclaim mobility for over 30 years. Her bestselling books, Pain Culprits and Aging Culprits, challenge common myths about the human body and uncover what really creates chronic pain, posture imbalances, and unnecessary physical decline.

In this powerful and practical discussion, Eileen shares:

• Why posture absolutely matters, adespite what some experts claim

• The surprising connection between posture, pain, and circulation

• Why poor ankle mobility is one of the biggest hidden drivers of pain

• How the thoracic spine is the "silent saboteur" of shoulder and back function

• How to assess your own posture at home (standing and lying down)

• What causes hunching, "Dowager's hump," and forward head posture

• Why aging decline is not inevitable

• How lifestyle, nutrition, and movement support healthy function long term

• What to do (and what not to do) to improve posture safely

Eileen also explains why braces often make posture worse, the role of whole food, plant-based nutrition in improving circulation, and simple daily habits to move better and feel better at any age.

Website: https://havelifelongwellbeing.com 
YouTube: Have Lifelong Wellbeing
Books: Pain Culprits, Aging Culprits

00:00 Welcome
01:00 Meet Eileen Kopsaftis
02:00 Does posture matter? Why experts disagree
03:00 The vanity factor & why posture affects confidence
05:00 Why people "shrink" with age (and why it's NOT aging)
07:00 Forward head posture: how 1 inch = 10 extra pounds of pressure
09:00 Can posture be corrected later in life?
11:00 Shoulder mobility, thoracic spine function & pain
13:00 Fall risk and center of gravity
15:00 The natural spinal curves and why they matter
17:00 Causes of excessive kyphosis
20:00 Degenerative disc disease and lumbar artery circulation
23:00 Ankle mobility: the most overlooked posture culprit
27:00 Workstation habits & standing desk tips
29:00 Why chair posture affects the whole spine
33:00 How the thoracic spine moves (type 1 & type 2 motion)
35:00 Exercises for ankle, hip & trunk function
38:00 Everything is connected
41:00 Posture self-assessment (standing & lying down)
48:00 What actually improves posture
49:00 The role of whole food, plant-based eating in pain and function
52:00 Why posture corrections must be individualized
55:00 How to work with Eileen
58:00 Final encouragement: aging doesn't equal decline

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association: https://www.healthscience.org/
🎧 Listen to all NHA Today podcast episodes: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @nationalhealthassociation

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱

In this episode, hosts Justin and Stephanie Williams sit down with Terri Chrisman, board-certified nutritionist, lifestyle medicine professional, and author of the new book Fabulous Health. Terri shares her deeply personal journey from vegetarianism to veganism to fully embracing a whole food, plant-based lifestyle and the science that inspired her along the way.

Terri discusses:

• How her international life led her to explore health and nutrition

• Why going vegan didn't automatically mean "healthy"

• Her transition from processed vegan eating to whole food, plant-based living

• The emotional and psychological side of eating

• Why people struggle to change and how the Transtheoretical Model explains it

• What inspired her to write Fabulous Health

• Why lifestyle medicine must include sleep, stress, movement, and connection

• Her go-to 5-minute noodle bowl that anyone can make

• How her family health history motivates her commitment to this lifestyle

A warm, engaging episode packed with science, storytelling, and practical wisdom.

Learn more about Terri: https://fabuloushealth.net
Book: Available on Amazon + signed copies for U.S. residents via her website

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association: https://www.healthscience.org/
🎧 Listen to all NHA Today podcast episodes: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @nationalhealthassociation

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱

In this inspiring episode, hosts Justin and Stephanie Williams sit down with Lianna Levine Reisner, co-founder and president of Plant Powered Metro New York (PPMNY). Lianna shares her personal health transformation, how she brought plant-based education to diverse communities, and why building supportive local networks is the key to long-term lifestyle change.

Together, they explore:

• Lianna's journey from personal experimentation to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle

• How PPMNY empowers multicultural communities across the NYC metro area

• The role of mentorship, jumpstarts, and community events in helping people thrive

• Strategies for parents raising plant-based kids in traditional school environments

• How local groups can partner with restaurants and expand healthy food access

Whether you're new to plant-based living or a seasoned advocate, this conversation offers heartfelt wisdom, practical ideas, and a powerful reminder of the impact community can make.

00:00 Introduction
00:45 Meet Lianna Levine Reisner
03:00 Lianna's plant-based health journey
07:00 Raising plant-based children
11:00 Food environment challenges for families
15:00 Finding and building community
17:20 How Plant Powered Metro NY began
25:00 The four pillars: awareness, education, empowerment & community
28:00 Jumpstarts, mentorship & national collaboration
34:00 Multicultural outreach & bridging communities
40:00 Connecting with underserved populations
44:00 Working with restaurants for healthier options
45:40 Quick meal ideas from Lianna
49:20 Where to find PPMNY

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association: https://www.healthscience.org/
🌱 Explore Plant Powered Metro New York: https://www.plantpoweredmetrony.org/
🎧 Listen to all NHA Today podcast episodes: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @nationalhealthassociation

After years of living in constant pain and relying on prescription medications, Tim Kaufman found a way to take back his life through the healing power of a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.

In this episode of NHA Today, hosts Justin and Stephanie Williams sit down with Tim to discuss his incredible transformation—from being over 400 pounds and battling addiction, to completing marathons, triathlons, and inspiring thousands through his platform Fat Man Rants.

🌱 In this episode you'll learn the following:

• How Tim overcame chronic pain and addiction through a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.
• The mindset shift that turned short-term motivation into lifelong purpose 
• How gratitude and consistency became his daily tools for success
• Why community and accountability are key to sustainable change

💬 "I didn't just want to lose weight—I wanted my life back."

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association, explore membership, and subscribe to Health Science magazine: https://healthscience.org

🎙️ Special thanks to guest hosts Justin & Stephanie Williams

🌐 Follow Tim Kaufman:

Instagram — @fatmanrants

YouTube — Fat Man Rants

Facebook — Fat Man Rants

Website — fatmanrants.com

After years of struggling with health issues and endless prescriptions, Michelle Cen discovered the healing power of food. In this episode of NHA Today, she shares her powerful transformation—from daily pain and fatigue to vibrant health—through a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.

🌱 In this episode:

• How Michelle's health struggles inspired a deep dive into nutrition and lifestyle medicine

• The turning point that led her to the National Health Association

• What changed when she transitioned to a 100% whole-food, plant-based diet

• The emotional, mental, and physical benefits she experienced along the way

• How she's now helping others take control of their health naturally
  
  

💬 "You can't just treat the symptoms—you have to address the root cause. Once I changed what I ate, everything began to heal." — Michelle Cen

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association, explore membership, and subscribe to Health Science magazine: https://healthscience.org

🎙️ Special thanks to guest hosts Justin & Stephanie Williams

📘 Learn More: 

Michelle works with TrueNorth Health Center, Plant Chompers, and the Eternal Spring Institute for Wellness, supporting health programs and plant-based initiatives.

Follow her on Instagram: @michelle.cen_

🌐 https://www.michellecen.com/

From bar food and burnout to vibrant plant-based living — Erin and Dusty Stanczyk, founders of EatMoveRest, share their transformation story with hosts Justin and Stephanie Williams on NHA Today.

Discover how Erin's health scare and Dusty's digestive struggles sparked a journey from conventional medicine to lifestyle medicine — leading to a thriving online community, retreats in Costa Rica, a bestselling cookbook (The Happy Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook), and a plant-powered family of five.

🌱 In this episode:

• How food became their medicine after years of frustration with "normal" medical answers

• The turning point that led them to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and the power of plant-based nutrition
  
  Building community through retreats, YouTube, and their EatMoveRest Club

• Parenting and raising healthy, plant-based kids

• Why compassion and connection go far beyond what's on your plate
  
  

📗 Learn more about Erin & Dusty's work: https://eatmoverest.com
📘 Follow EatMoveRest:
Instagram → @eatmoverest
YouTube → EatMoveRest
Facebook → facebook.com/eatmoverest
Pinterest → pinterest.com/eatmoverest

Special thanks to guest hosts Stephanie & Justin Williams

Connect with them:

Website: https://www.plantbasedcapitalregion.org/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5065227353518556

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantbasedcapitalregion/

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! In this inspiring episode of NHA Today, guest host Chuck Carroll from The Exam Room Podcast (PCRM) talks with Javant—founder of Healthy Vegan Eating and the Healthy Vegan Lifestyle App—about how he transformed his life through a whole-food, plant-based diet. After losing 80 pounds and improving his health, Javant made it his mission to help others take control of theirs through nutrition, mindset, and community.

🌱 In This Episode:

• How Javant went from prediabetic to thriving on a plant-based lifestyle

• The philosophy behind "making your own" and his upcoming cookbook

• The power of mindset and community in creating lasting health

• How nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindset form his four pillars of wellness
  
  

📘 Learn More:
Follow @HealthyVeganEating on Instagram for oil-free, whole food, plant-based recipes and inspiration.
Explore the Healthy Vegan Lifestyle App and preorder Make Your Own cookbook, available on Amazon and other retailers.
Listen to more from The Exam Room Podcast with Chuck Carroll → https://pcrm.org/podcast

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱

In this heartfelt episode, guest host Cyd Notter talks with Jennifer Diamond, plant-based nutrition coach and YouTube creator, about navigating grief and emotional eating while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

You'll learn:
✅ How to honor your emotions without turning to food for comfort
✅ Simple coping tools for stress, loss, and emotional overwhelm
✅ How to create "plant-based comfort foods" that heal, not harm
✅ Ways to build new habits when life feels out of control
✅ Why self-compassion is key to long-term wellness

Jennifer also shares her personal story of loss, resilience, and rediscovery—proving that even through grief, growth and healing are possible.

🎧 Listen to more NHA Today episodes:
https://www.healthscience.org/podcast

🌿 Learn more about the National Health Association:
https://www.healthscience.org

💚 Connect with Jennifer Diamond:
Website: https://www.thejenniferdiamond.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejenniferdiamond
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejenniferdiamond

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association, explore membership, and subscribe to Health Science magazine: https://healthscience.org

🎙️ Special thanks to guest host Cyd Notter.

Learn more about her work: www.cydnotter.com

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/cydnotter

📸 Instagram: @cyd_notter

Welcome to NHA Today, the official podcast of the National Health Association! 🌱
In this episode, guest host Cyd Notter sits down with Shoshana Chaim—Canadian wellness expert, international speaker, and co-host of The Plant Trainers Podcast—to explore how to optimize cellular health for energy, recovery, and longevity.

You'll learn:
✅ How cellular communication and redox signaling affect every system in your body
✅ Why even healthy lifestyles sometimes need a deeper, cellular approach
✅ The top daily habits that protect mitochondrial and hormonal health
✅ What "biohacking" really means in a plant-based lifestyle
✅ How to build resilience, reduce inflammation, and age with vitality

Shoshana also shares her personal story of helping her husband reverse heart disease through plant-based nutrition—and how her own health transformation led to a passion for helping others heal at the cellular level.

💚 Connect with Shoshana Chaim
Website: https://www.shoshanachaim.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planttrainers
Podcast: https://www.planttrainers.com

🔗 Learn more about the National Health Association, explore membership, and subscribe to Health Science magazine: https://healthscience.org

🎙️ Special thanks to guest host Cyd Notter.

Learn more about her work: www.cydnotter.com

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/cydnotter

📸 Instagram: @cyd_notter